SILENT CONVERSATION--RAW FOOD--FEMALE TAILS--A TERRIBLE BATTLE
TERMINATED BY THE INTERPOSITION OF A GIANT.
Of all the people at Fort Chimo no one was more interested in the
Esquimaux than little Edith. She not only went fearlessly among them,
and bestowed upon them every trinket she possessed, but, in her
childlike desire for the companionship and sympathy of human beings of
her own age and sex, she took forcible possession of two little girls
who happened to be cleaner, and, therefore, prettier than the others,
and led them away to her own ravine, where she introduced them to her
favourite berries and to her dog Chimo. At first the dog did not seem
to relish the intrusion of these new favourites, but seeing that they
did not induce his mistress to caress him less than before, he
considerately tolerated them. Besides, the Esquimaux had brought their
dogs along with them; and Chimo, being of an amicable disposition, had
entered into social fellowship with his own kind. We have said that
Chimo was sagacious, and it is quite possible he may have felt the
propriety of granting to Edith that liberty which he undoubtedly claimed
for himself.
But Edith's intercourse with her little Esquimau _protegees_ was
necessarily confined to looks--the language of the eye making up for the
absence of that of the tongue. There were many things, however, in
which language was not required as a medium of communication between the
children. When the berries were good, the brightening eyes and smacking
lips spoke a language common to all the human race. So, also, when the
berries were sour or bitter, the expression of their faces was
peculiarly emphatic. The joyous shout, too, as they discovered a new
scene that pleased their eyes, while they roved hand in hand through the
ravines, or the shrinking glance of fear as they found themselves
unexpectedly on the edge of a precipice, was sufficiently intelligible
to the trio. The little friends presented a striking and grotesque
contrast. It would have been difficult to say whether the little
Esquimaux were boys or girls. If anything, the costume seemed more to
indicate the former than the latter. Like their mothers, they wore
loose deerskin shirts with the hair on the outside, which gave them a
round, soft, burly appearance--an appearance which was increased by
their little boots, which were outrageously wide, and quite as long as
their legs. The frocks or shirts had hoods and tails, which latter,
according to fashion, were so long that they trailed on the ground. The
inconvenience of the tail is so great that the women, while travelling
on a journey, get rid of it by drawing it between their legs, and,
lifting up the end, fastening it in front to a button sewed to their
frock for the purpose. In travelling, therefore, Esquimau women seem to
be destitute of this appendage; but, on arriving at camp, they undo the
fastening, and walk about with flowing tails behind them!
Edith's costume consisted of a short frock made of dark blue cloth, and
a head-dress peculiar to the Indian women among the Crees. It was
preferred by the little wearer to all other styles of bonnet, on account
of the ease with which it could be thrown off and on. She also wore
ornamented leggings and moccasins. Altogether, with her graceful
figure, flaxen curls, and picturesque costume, she presented a strong
contrast to the fat, dark, hairy little creatures who followed her by
brook and bush and precipice the livelong day.
One morning, about two weeks after the arrival of the Esquimaux, Edith
went down to the camp after breakfast, and found her two companions
engaged in concluding their morning meal. The elder, whose name was
Arnalooa, was peering with earnest scrutiny into the depths of a
marrowbone, from which she had already extracted a large proportion of
the raw material. The younger, Okatook, seized a lump of raw seal's
flesh, as Edith entered their hut, and, cutting therefrom a savoury
morsel, put it into her mouth as she rose to welcome her visitor.
"Oh! how _can_ you?" said Edith, with a look of disgust at this ravenous
conduct on the part of her friend. But Edith had said, "Oh! how _can_
you?" and "Oh! shocking!" and "Oh! why don't you give up eating it raw?"
and "Oh! why _won't_ you have it cooked?" nearly every day for the last
two weeks, without producing any other effect than a gleeful laugh from
the little Esquimaux; for, although they did not comprehend her words,
they clearly understood her looks of disapproval. But although they
would not give up the habit of eating raw flesh, which they had been
accustomed to from their infancy, they were prevailed on so far to break
through the habits of their people as to wash their hands and faces
before going out to play. This they did because Edith positively
refused to go with them unless they did so.
Lifting up the end of her tail and wiping her mouth therewith, Arnalooa
smiled at Edith's look of reproach, and ran laughing towards the shore,
where she and Okatook washed their hands, after which they followed
Edith and Chimo to their favourite ravine. Although she knew that they
did not understand a word of what she said, Edith invariably kept up a
running fire of small talk, in reference chiefly to the objects of
nature by which they were surrounded. To this the little hairy
creatures listened intently with smiling faces, and sometimes they
laughed prodigiously, as though they understood what was said, so that
their companion felt as if she were really conversing with them,
although she was sadly perplexed at the utter impossibility of obtaining
an intelligible reply to a question when she chanced to put one.
"Oh, what a lovely glen!" cried Edith, her eyes beaming with delight,
as, on turning the point of a projecting crag, she and her companions
found themselves in a spot which they had not before seen during their
rambles. It was a wild, savage gorge, full of fallen rocks, hemmed in
with high cliffs, fringed here and there with willows and mosses, among
which were a few brilliant wild-flowers. The lights and shadows of the
spot were thrown into powerful contrast by a gleam of sunshine which
flashed down among the rugged masses, lighting up peaks and sharp edges
in some spots, while in others they were thrown into the profoundest
gloom.
"Oh! is it not a delightful place?" cried Edith, as she bounded up the
rugged path, followed by Chimo, while the two Esquimau girls buttoned up
their tails, and followed her as fast as their more cumbrous habiliments
would permit.
For a quarter of an hour the party toiled up the steep ascent, pausing
now and then to pluck a flower, or to look back on the wild path by
which they had come, until they reached a ridge of rock, beyond which
lay a small lake or pool. So dark and still did it lie within the
shadow of the overhanging cliffs that it resembled a pool of ink. Here
the adventurous explorers sat down to recover breath, and to gaze in
childish delight, not unmixed with awe, at the wild scene around them.
The peculiar wildness of the spot seemed to exercise an unusual
influence over the dog; for, instead of lying down, as it was wont to
do, at the feet of its young mistress, it moved about uneasily, and once
or twice uttered a low growl.
"Come here, Chimo," said Edith, when these symptoms of restlessness had
attracted her attention; "what is the matter with you, my dear dog?
Surely you are not frightened at the appearance of this wild place!
Speak, dog; see, Arnalooa is laughing at you."
Edith might have said with more propriety that Arnalooa was laughing at
herself, for the little Esquimau was much amused at the serious manner
in which her Kublunat friend spoke to her dog. But Chimo refused to be
comforted. He raised his snout, snuffed the air once or twice, and
then, descending the gorge a short distance, put his nose close to the
ground and trotted away.
"That is very odd of Chimo," said Edith, looking into Arnalooa's face
with an expression of perplexity.
As she spoke Okatook pointed, with an eager glance, up the ravine.
Turning her eyes hastily in the direction indicated, Edith beheld a deer
bounding towards them. It was closely followed by a savage wolf. The
deer seemed to be in the last stage of exhaustion. Its flanks were wet
with moisture, its eyes starting from their sockets, and its breath
issued forth in deep sobs, as it bounded onwards, seemingly more by the
force of its impetus than by any voluntary exertion. More intent on the
danger behind than on that which lay before it, the deer made straight
for the pass in which the three girls stood, and scarcely had they time
to spring to the sides of the cliff, when it swept by like an arrow.
Instantly after, and ere it had taken two bounds past them, the wolf
sprang forward; caught it by the throat, and dragged it to the ground,
where in a few seconds it worried the noble animal to death. It is
probable that the chase now terminated had begun at early dawn that day,
for deer being fleeter than wolves they prolong the chase until overcome
by the superior strength and dogged perseverance of their ravenous
enemies. Over mountain and hill they had bounded along together,
through glen and gorge, across river and lake, bursting headlong through
bush and brake, or under the shadow of frowning cliffs, and toiling, at
a foot pace and with panting sides, up the steep hills, in the fierce
blaze of the sun, the one impelled by hunger, the other by fear, until
at length the scene closed in the wild pass, almost at the feet of the
three children.
But retribution was in store for the savage destroyer. Ere yet the
life's blood had teased to flow from the throat of the dying deer, and
while the wolf's fangs were still dripping with its gore, a fierce bark,
followed by a terrific growl, rang among the cliffs, and Chimo, with his
ears laid back and his formidable row of teeth exposed, rushed up the
gorge and seized the wolf by the neck! Thus assailed, the wolf returned
the bite with interest, and immediately a fight of the most energetic
character ensued.
The wolf was much larger and more powerful than Chimo, but was greatly
exhausted by its long chase, while the dog was fresh and vigorous. Once
or twice Chimo tossed his huge adversary by main strength, but as often
he was overturned and dreadfully shaken, while the long fangs of the
wolf met in his neck, and mingled the blood of the deer, which
bespattered his black muzzle, with the life's blood that began to flow
copiously from Chimo's veins. At this moment a shout was heard farther
up the ravine. The three girls turned hastily, and saw, on a point of
rock which projected from the mountain side and overhung the dark pool,
the figure of a man, of such immense proportions that they instinctively
shrank back with terror. The position in which he stood made him appear
larger than he really was. The scattered gleams and slant rays of
sunshine that played around the spot invested him as with a supernatural
halo, while a bright glow of light on the cliff behind detached him
prominently from the surrounding shadows. He poised a spear in his
right hand, and, while Edith gazed at him in terror, the weapon flew
whistling through the air and was buried in the side of the wolf. But
so close did the spear pass, that Edith involuntarily stepped back as
she heard it whiz. In doing so she lost her balance and fell over the
cliff. Fortunately, Arnalooa caught her by the dress and partially
broke her fall, but the descent was sufficiently steep and rugged to
render the child insensible.
When Edith recovered consciousness, her first emotion was that of
terror, on beholding a large, dark-bearded face bending over her; but a
second glance showed her that the eyes of the stranger gazed upon her
with a look of tenderness, and that Arnalooa and Okatook were kneeling
beside her with an expression of anxiety. Had anything further been
wanting to allay her fears, the sight of Chimo would have done it. It
is true the sturdy dog panted heavily, and occasionally licked his
wounds, as he sat on his haunches at her feet; but he was wonderfully
calm and collected after his recent mortal conflict, and regarded his
young mistress from time to time with an air of patronising assurance.
As Edith opened her eyes, the stranger muttered some unintelligible
words, and, rising hastily, went to a neighbouring spring, at which he
filled a rude cup with water. In doing this, he revealed the huge
proportions of the gigantic Esquimau whom we introduced to our reader in
a former chapter. He was dressed in the same manner as when we first
saw him, but his face was somewhat altered, and his black eyebrows were
marked by that peculiar curve which is expressive of deep melancholy.
Returning quickly from the spring, he kneeled beside the little girl,
and, raising her head on his broad hand, held the goblet to her lips.
"Thank you," said Edith faintly, as she swallowed a few drops; "I think
I had better go home. Is Chimo safe? Chimo!" She started up as the
recollection of the fight with the wolf flashed upon her; but the fall
had stunned her rather severely, and scarcely had she risen to her feet
when she staggered and fell back into the arms of the Esquimau.
Seeing that she was quite unable to walk, he raised her in his powerful
arm as if she had been a young lamb. Catching the dead wolf by the neck
as he passed, and springing from rock to rock with catlike agility, he
bore his burden down the ravine, and strode towards the fort under the
guidance of Okatook and Arnalooa.